Mass Transfer Events Research Articles

Evaluating the gravitational wave detectability of globular clusters and the Magellanic Clouds for LISA

We used the stellar evolution code bpass and the gravitational wave (GW) simulation code legwork to simulate populations of compact binaries that may be detected by the future space-based GW detector LISA. Specifically, we simulate the Magellanic Clouds and binary populations mimicking several globular clusters, neglecting dynamical effects. We find that a handful of sources should be detectable in each of the Magellanic Clouds, but for globular clusters the amount of detectable sources will likely be less than one each. We compared our results to earlier research and find that our predicted numbers are several dozen times lower than both the results from calculations that used the stellar evolution code bse and take dynamical effects into account, and results from calculations that used the stellar evolution code SeBa for the Magellanic Clouds. Earlier research that compared bpass models for GW sources in the Galactic disk with bse models found a similarly sized discrepancy. We determine that this discrepancy is caused by differences between the stellar evolution codes, particularly in the treatment of mass transfer and common-envelope events in binaries: in bpass mass transfer is more likely to be stable and tends to lead to less orbital shrinkage in the common-envelope phase than in other codes. This difference results in fewer compact binaries with periods short enough to be detected by LISA existing in the bpass population. For globular clusters, we conclude that the impact of dynamical effects is uncertain based on the literature, but the differences in stellar evolution have an effect of a factor of 20 to 40 on the number of detectable binaries.

A trifecta of modelling tools: a Bayesian binary black hole model selection combining population synthesis and galaxy formation models

ABSTRACT Gravitational waves (GWs) have revealed surprising properties of binary black hole (BBH) populations, but there is still mystery surrounding how these compact objects evolve. We apply Bayesian inference and an efficient method to calculate the BBH merger rates in the Shark host galaxies, to determine the combination of COMPAS parameters that outputs a population most like the GW sources from the LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (LVK) transient catalogue. For our COMPAS models, we calculate the likelihood with and without the dependence on the predicted number of BBH merger events. We find strong correlations between hyper-parameters governing the specific angular momentum (AM) of mass lost during mass transfer, the mass-loss rates of Wolf–Rayet stars via winds and the chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE) formation channel. We conclude that analysing the marginalized and unmarginalized likelihood is a good indicator of whether the population parameters distribution and number of observed events reflect the LVK data. In doing so, we see that the majority of the models preferred in terms of the population-level parameters of the BBHs greatly overpredict the number of events we should have observed to date. Looking at the smaller number of models that perform well with both likelihoods, we find that those with no CHE, AM loss occurring closer to the donor during the first mass-transfer event, and/or higher rates of mass-loss from Wolf–Rayet winds are generally preferred by current data. We find these conclusions to be robust to our choice of selection criteria.

Digitalizing the TIM-1 Model using Computational Approaches-Part One: TIM-1 Data Explorer.

The TIM-1 gastrointestinal model is one of the most advanced in vitro systems currently available for biorelevant dissolution testing. This technology, the initial version of which was developed nearly 30 years ago and has been subject to a number of significant updates over this period, simulates the dynamic environment of the human gastrointestinal tract, including pH, transfer times, secretion of bile, enzymes, and electrolytes. In the pharmaceutical industry, the TIM-1 system is used to support drug product design and provide a biopredictive assessment of drug product performance. Typically, the bioaccessibility data sets generated by TIM-1 experiments are used to qualitatively compare formulation performance, and the use of bioaccessibility data as inputs for physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling for quantitative predictions is limited. To expand the utility of the TIM-1 model beyond standard bioaccessibility measurements (which define the fraction available for absorption), we have developed a computational tool, TIM-1 Data Explorer, to describe the fluid and mass balance within the TIM-1 system. The use of this tool allows a detailed inspection and in-depth interpretation of the experimental data. In addition to mass balance calculation, this model also can be used to describe the critical processes a drug substance would undergo during a TIM-1 experiment, such as dissolution, precipitation on transfer from the stomach to duodenum, and redissolution. The TIM-1 Data Explorer was validated in two case studies. In the first case study with paracetamol, we have shown the ability of the simulator to adequately describe mass transfer events within the TIM-1 system, and in the second study with a weakly basic in-house compound, PF-07059013, the TIM-1 Data Explorer was successfully used to describe dissolution and precipitation processes.

The role of stellar expansion on the formation of gravitational wave sources

ABSTRACT Massive stars are the progenitors of black holes and neutron stars, the mergers of which can be detected with gravitational waves (GW). The expansion of massive stars is one of the key factors affecting their evolution in close binary systems, but it remains subject to large uncertainties in stellar astrophysics. For population studies and predictions of GW sources, the stellar expansion is often simulated with the analytic formulae from Hurley et al. (2000). These formulae need to be extrapolated and are often considered outdated. In this work, we present five different prescriptions developed from 1D stellar models to constrain the maximum expansion of massive stars. We adopt these prescriptions to investigate how stellar expansion affects mass transfer interactions and in turn the formation of GW sources. We show that limiting radial expansion with updated 1D stellar models, when compared to the use of Hurley et al. (2000) radial expansion formulae, does not significantly affect GW source properties (rates and masses). This is because most mass transfer events leading to GW sources are initialized in our models before the donor star reaches its maximum expansion. The only significant difference was found for the mass distribution of massive binary black hole mergers (Mtot > 50 M⊙) formed from stars that may evolve beyond the Humphreys–Davidson limit, whose radial expansion is the most uncertain. We conclude that understanding the expansion of massive stars and the origin of the Humphrey–Davidson limit is a key factor for the study of GW sources.

Gravitational wave spectral synthesis

ABSTRACT We study the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sources that arise from isolated binary evolution, and how these depend on age and metallicity, using model stellar populations from bpass. We model these as single-aged populations which are analogous to star clusters. We calculate the combined gravitational wave (GW) spectrum of all the binaries within these model clusters, including all types of compact binaries as well as those with living stars. These results allow us to evaluate the detectability of star clusters with LISA. We find at late times the dominant sources are WD–WD binaries by factors of 50–200, but at times between 108 and 109 yr we find a significant population of NS–WD and BH–WD binaries (2–40 per 106 M⊙), which is related to the treatment of mass transfer and common-envelope events in bpass, wherein mass transfer is relatively likely to be stable. Metallicity also has an effect on the GW spectrum and on the relative dominance of different types of binaries. Using the information about known star clusters will aid the identification of sky locations where one could expect LISA to find GW sources.

Carbon-enhanced metal-poor star candidates from BP/RP spectra in Gaia DR3

ABSTRACT Carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars comprise almost a third of stars with [Fe/H] < −2, although their origins are still poorly understood. It is highly likely that one sub-class (CEMP-s stars) is tied to mass-transfer events in binary stars, while another sub-class (CEMP-no stars) are enriched by the nucleosynthetic yields of the first generations of stars. Previous studies of CEMP stars have primarily concentrated on the Galactic halo, but more recently they have also been detected in the thick disc and bulge components of the Milky Way. Gaia DR3 has provided an unprecedented sample of over 200 million low-resolution (R ≈ 50) spectra from the BP and RP photometers. Training on the CEMP catalogue from the SDSS/SEGUE database, we use XGBoost to identify the largest all-sky sample of CEMP candidate stars to date. In total, we find 58 872 CEMP star candidates, with an estimated contamination rate of 12 per cent. When comparing to literature high-resolution catalogues, we positively identify 60–68 per cent of the CEMP stars in the data, validating our results and indicating a high completeness rate. Our final catalogue of CEMP candidates spans from the inner to outer Milky Way, with distances as close as r ∼ 0.8 kpc from the Galactic centre, and as far as r > 30 kpc. Future higher resolution spectroscopic follow-up of these candidates will provide validations of their classification and enable investigations of the frequency of CEMP-s and CEMP-no stars throughout the Galaxy, to further constrain the nature of their progenitors.

Red horizontal branch stars: An asteroseismic perspective

Robust age estimates of red giant stars are now possible thanks to the precise inference of their mass based on asteroseismic constraints. However, there are cases where such age estimates can be highly precise yet very inaccurate. An example is giants that have undergone mass loss or mass transfer events that have significantly altered their mass. In this context, stars with ‘apparent’ ages significantly higher than the age of the Universe are candidates for stripped stars, or stars that have lost more mass than expected, most likely via interactions with a companion star or because of the poorly understood mass-loss mechanism along the red-giant branch. In this work we identify examples of such objects among red giants observed by Kepler, both at low ([Fe/H] ≲ −0.5) and solar metallicity. By modelling their structure and pulsation spectra, we find a consistent picture that confirms that they are indeed low-mass objects consisting of a He core of ≈0.5 M⊙ and an envelope of ≈0.1 − 0.2 M⊙. Moreover, we find that these stars are characterised by a rather extreme coupling (q ≳ 0.4) between the pressure-mode and gravity-mode cavities, one that is much higher than the typical value for red clump stars, thus providing a direct seismic signature of their peculiar structure. The complex pulsation spectra of these objects, if observed with sufficient frequency resolution, hold detailed information about the structural properties of likely products of mass stripping and can hence potentially shed light on their formation mechanism. On the other hand, our tests highlight the difficulties associated with reliably measuring the large frequency separation, especially in shorter datasets, which impacts the reliability of the inferred masses and ages of low-mass red clump stars with, for example, K2 or TESS data.

The spins of stripped B stars support magnetic internal angular momentum transport

In order to predict the spins of stellar remnants we need to understand the evolution of the internal rotation of stars, and to identify at which stage the rotation of the contracting cores of evolved stars decouples from their expanding envelopes. The donor stars of mass transferring binaries lose almost their entire envelope and may thus offer a direct view on their core rotation. After the mass transfer event they contract and fade rapidly, although they are well observable when caught in the short-lived B-star phase. The B-type primary of the galactic binary system LB-1, which was originally suggested to contain a massive black hole, is nicely explained as a stripped star accompanied by a fainter Be star. The narrow absorption lines in the primary’s spectrum signify extremely slow rotation, atypical of B-type main-sequence stars. Here we investigate the evolution of mass donors in generic grids of detailed binary evolution models, where both stars include differential rotation, internal angular momentum transport, and spin-orbit coupling. Whereas the mass gainers are typically spun-up during the mass transfer, we find that the spins of the stripped donor models depend sensitively on the employed mechanism for internal angular momentum transport. Purely hydrodynamic transport cannot explain the observed slow rotation, while models including magnetic angular momentum transport are able to reproduce the observed rotation of LB-1 and similar stars, independent of the initial rotation rate. In such models the spin of the white dwarfs that emerge at the end of the evolution is independent of the mass stripping. We find evidence that the mass transfer in LB-1 was moderately non-conservative.

Mass Transport of Lignin in Confined Pores.

A crucial step in the chemical delignification of wood is the transport of lignin fragments into free liquor; this step is believed to be the rate-limiting step. This study has investigated the diffusion of kraft lignin molecules through model cellulose membranes of various pore sizes (1–200 nm) by diffusion cells, where the lignin molecules diffuse from donor to acceptor cells through a membrane, where diffusion rate increases by pore size. UV–vis spectra of the donor solutions showed greater absorbance at higher wavelengths (~450 nm), which was probably induced by scattering due to presence of large molecules/clusters, while acceptor samples passed through small pore membranes did not. The UV–vis spectra of acceptor solutions show a characteristic peak at around 350 nm, which corresponds to ionized conjugated molecules: indicating that a chemical fractionation has occurred. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) showed a difference in the molecular weight (Mw) distribution between lignin from the donor and acceptor chambers. The results show that small pore sizes enable the diffusion of small individual molecules and hinder the transport of large lignin molecules or possible lignin clusters. This study provides more detail in understanding the mass transfer events of pulping processes.

Turbulent mass transfer near gas-liquid interfaces in water and shear-thinning dilute polymer solution

Turbulence is known to enhance gas-liquid mass transfer and mixing of high Schmidt number dissolved gases in water by deforming the concentration boundary layer that develops at the interface. Fundamental mechanisms of surface renewal and injection have been progressively evidenced throughout the last decades, via fundamental experiments of low mean shear turbulence interacting with flat interfaces in water. However, and despite the obvious influence of non-Newtonian behaviours on gas liquid mass transfer in industrial and environmental applications, not such study exists (to the best of the author’s knowledge) on whether and how these mechanisms apply in shear-thinning dilute polymer solutions (DPS). Following a previous work on near surface hydrodynamics, turbulent mass transfer and mixing is studied in a weakly shear-thinning fluid, and compared to the Newtonian, water case. Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) and Inhibited Planar Laser Induced fluorescence are used simultaneously to measure the local liquid phase velocity and dissolved gas concentration fields respectively. Coupled measurements are used to estimate the turbulent mass fluxes, which are interpreted using a conditional quadrant analysis. Results show that in DPS as well as in water, surface renewal is the most frequent mechanism, but injection events are the most efficient in terms of mass transfer. Even at a low concentration, the polymer significantly modifies the signature of those mass transfer events, by enhancing scalar stretching and injection mass transfer outside of the viscous sub-layer, altering classical gradient models.

Mathematical Modeling of Changes in the Dispersed Composition of Solid Phase Particles in Technological Apparatuses of Periodic and Continuous Action

This article presents a methodological approach to modeling the processes of changing the dispersed composition of solid phase particles, such as granulation, crystallization, pyrolysis, and others. Granulation is considered as a complex process consisting of simpler (elementary) processes such as continuous particle growth, agglomeration, crushing and abrasion. All these elementary processes, which are also complex in themselves, usually participate in the formation of the dispersed composition of particles and proceed simultaneously with the predominance of one process or another, depending on the method of its organization and the physicochemical properties of substances. A quantitative description of the evolution of the dispersed composition of the solid phase in technological processes in which the particle size does not remain constant is proposed. Considering the stochastic nature of elementary mass transfer events in individual particles, the methods of the theory of probability are applied. The analysis of the change in the dispersed composition is based on the balanced equation of the particle mass distribution function. The equation accounts for all possible physical mechanisms that effect changes in particle size during chemical and technological processes. Examples of solutions to this equation for specific processes of practical importance are provided. The obtained analytical solutions are of independent interest and are in good agreement with the experimental data, which indicates the adequacy of the proposed approach. These solutions can also be used to analyze similar processes. The effectiveness has been confirmed during the analysis and calculation of the processes of granulation of various solutions and disposal of oil-containing waste to obtain a granular mineral additive.

Determination of Sodium Abundance Ratio from Low-resolution Stellar Spectra and Its Applications

Abstract We present a method to determine sodium abundance ratios ([Na/Fe]) using the Na i D doublet lines in low-resolution (R ∼ 2000) stellar spectra. As stellar Na i D lines are blended with those produced by the interstellar medium, we developed a technique for removing the interstellar Na i D lines using the relationship between extinction, which is proportional to E(B − V), and the equivalent width of the interstellar Na i D absorption lines. When measuring [Na/Fe], we also considered corrections for nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) effects. Comparisons with data from high-resolution spectroscopic surveys suggest that the expected precision of [Na/Fe] from low-resolution spectra is better than 0.3 dex for stars with [Fe/H] > −3.0. We also present a simple application employing the estimated [Na/Fe] values for a large number of stellar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). After classifying the SDSS stars into Na-normal, Na-high, and Na-extreme, we explore their relation to stars in Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We find that while the Na-high SDSS stars exhibit a similar metallicity distribution function (MDF) to that of the GCs, indicating that the majority of such stars may have originated from GC debris, the MDF of the Na-normal SDSS stars follows that of typical disk and halo stars. As there is a high fraction of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars among the Na-extreme stars, they may have a non-GC origin, perhaps due to mass-transfer events from evolved binary companions.

The outburst of a 60 min AM CVn reveals peculiar colour evolution: implications for outbursts in long-period double white dwarfs

ABSTRACT We report on multiwavelength observations during quiescence and of the first detected outburst of the ≈60 min orbital period AM CVn SDSS J113732+405458. Using X-ray and UV observations, we determined an upper limit duration of the event of about 1 yr. The amplitude of the outburst was remarkably small, of around 1 mag in r and 0.5 mag in g. We have also investigated the colour variations of SDSS J113732+405458 and other long-period AM CVns in outbursts and identified a track on the colour–magnitude diagram that is not compatible with the predictions of the disc instability model, suggesting that some outbursts in long-period AM CVns are caused by enhanced mass-transfer. To our knowledge, these are the first studies of the colour evolution in AM CVns. During quiescence we measured an X-ray luminosity for SDSS J113732+405458 of ≈3 × 1029 erg s−1 in the 0.5–10 keV band. This indicates a very low accretion rate, in agreement with the disc instability model for long-period systems. However, such a model predicts stable discs at somewhat long periods. The discovery of this system outburst, along with similarities to the long-period system SDSS J080710+485259 with a comparably long, weak outburst, indicates that these enhanced mass-transfer events may be more common in long-period AM CVns. A larger sample would be needed to determine empirically at what period, if any, the disc instability stops functioning entirely. Finally, we identified an infrared excess in the quiescence spectrum attributable to the donor. This makes SDSS J113732+405458 the second AM CVn to have a directly detected donor.

The Adhesive Response of Regolith to Low-Energy Disturbances in Microgravity

Abstract Small, airless bodies are covered by a layer of regolith composed of particles ranging from μm-size dust to cm-size pebbles that evolve under conditions very different than those on Earth. Flight-based microgravity experiments investigating low-velocity collisions of cm-size projectiles into regolith have revealed that certain impact events result in a mass transfer from the target regolith onto the surface of the projectile. The key parameters that produce these events need to be characterized to understand the mechanical behavior of granular media, which is composed of the surfaces of small bodies. We carried out flight and ground-based research campaigns designed to investigate these mass transfer events. The goals of our experimental campaigns were (1) to identify projectile energy thresholds that influence mass transfer outcomes in low-energy collision events between cm-size projectiles and μm-size regolith, (2) to determine whether these mass transfer events required a microgravity environment to be observed, and (3) to determine whether the rebound portion of these collision events could be replicated in a laboratory drop tower environment. We found that (1) mass transfer events occurred for projectile rebound accelerations <7.8 m/s2 and we were unable to identify a corresponding impact velocity threshold, (2) mass transfer events require a microgravity environment, and (3) ourdrop tower experiments were able to produce mass transfer events. However, drop tower experiments do not exactly reproduce the free-particle impacts and rebound of the long-duration microgravity experiments and yielded systematically lower amounts of the overall mass transferred.

Is HR 6819 a triple system containing a black hole?

Context. HR 6819 was recently proposed to be a triple system consisting of an inner B-type giant plus black hole (BH) binary with an orbital period of 40 d and an outer Be tertiary. This interpretation is mainly based on two inferences: that the emission attributed to the outer Be star is stationary and that the inner star, which is used as mass calibrator for the BH, is a B-type giant. Aims. We re-investigate the properties of HR 6819 to search for a possibly simpler alternative explanation for HR 6819, which does not invoke the presence of a triple system with a BH in the inner binary. Methods. Based on an orbital analysis, the disentangling of the spectra of the two visible components and the atmosphere analysis of the disentangled spectra, we investigate the configuration of the system and the nature of its components. Results. Disentangling implies that the Be component is not a static tertiary, but rather a component of the binary in the 40 d orbit. The inferred radial velocity amplitudes of K1 = 60.4 ± 1.0 km s−1 for the B-type primary and K2 = 4.0 ± 0.8 km s−1 for the Be-type secondary imply an extreme mass ratio of M2/M1 = 15 ± 3. We find that the B-type primary, which we estimate to contribute about 45% to the optical flux, has an effective temperature of Teff = 16 ± 1 kK and a surface gravity of log g = 2.8 ± 0.2 [cgs], while the Be secondary, which contributes about 55% to the optical flux, has Teff = 20 ± 2 kK and log g = 4.0 ± 0.3 [cgs]. We infer spectroscopic masses of 0.4−0.1+0.3and 6−3+5 for the primary and secondary which agree well with the dynamical masses for an inclination of i = 32°. This indicates that the primary might be a stripped star rather than a B-type giant. Evolutionary modelling suggests that a possible progenitor system would be a tight (Pi ≈ 2 d) B+B binary system that experienced conservative mass transfer. While the observed nitrogen enrichment of the primary conforms with the predictions of the evolutionary models, we find no indications for the predicted He enrichment. Conclusions. We suggest that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a stripped B-type primary and a rapidly-rotating Be star that formed from a previous mass-transfer event. In the framework of this interpretation, HR 6819 does not contain a BH. Interferometry can distinguish between these two scenarios by providing an independent measurement of the separation between the visible components.

The evolution of stellar triples

Context. Many stars do not live alone, but instead have one or more stellar companions. Observations show that these binaries, triples, and higher-order multiples are common. While the evolution of single stars and binaries have been studied extensively, the same is not true for the evolution of stellar triples. Aims. To fill in this gap in our general understanding of stellar lives, we aim to systematically explore the long-term evolution of triples and to map out the most common evolutionary pathways that triples go through. We quantitatively study how triples evolve, which processes are the most relevant, and how this differs from binary evoluion. Methods. We simulated the evolution of several large populations of triples with a population synthesis approach. We made use of the triple evolution code TRES to simulate the evolution of each triple in a consistent way, including three-body dynamics (based on the secular approach), stellar evolution, and their mutual influences. We simulated the evolution of the system up until mass transfer starts, the system becomes dynamically unstable, or a Hubble time has passed. Results. We find that stellar interactions are common in triples. Compared to a binary population, we find that the fraction of systems that can undergo mass transfer is ∼2−3 times larger in triples. Moreover, while orbits typically reach circularisation before Roche-lobe overflow in binaries, this is no longer true in triples. In our simulations, about 40% of systems retain an eccentric orbit. Additionally, we discuss various channels of triple evolution in detail, such as those where the secondary or the tertiary is the first star to initiate a mass transfer event.

On the Combination of Methods of Temperature-Accelerated Dynamics and Hyperdynamics

An approach for the combined application of the hyperdynamics and the temperature-accelerated dynamics methods within the framework of a single method is presented. The combined method is used for the atomic simulation of elementary mass transfer events during thermal diffusion in the bulk of a two-dimensional deformed crystal containing a vacancy. The simulation results are compared with the results obtained for the same atomic system using classical molecular dynamics.

Particle by Particle Kinetic Monte Carlo Tracking of Reaction and Mass Transfer Events in Miniemulsion Free Radical Polymerization

In many studies on emulsion polymerization emphasis is on a constant average particle size and an average monomer concentration for all particles, and the zero–one or pseudobulk approximation is applied. Based on kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, it is demonstrated that the kinetics need to be followed particle by particle while acknowledging the difference in radical and monomer concentration per particle, in contrast to the conventional Smith–Ewart methodology. Focus is on miniemulsion free radical polymerization, with physically reasonable values for all parameters and considering interphase mass transfer of initiator and monomer molecules and initiator-derived, monomeric and oligomeric radicals, following a diffusion-based approach. The temporal evolutions of the chain length distribution (CLD) and the particle size distribution (PSD) are correlated and affected by radical exit/entry and monomer mass transfer. The results unveil unprecedented insight into dispersed phase radical polymerizations and ope...

Confirming chemical clocks: asteroseismic age dissection of the Milky Way disk(s)

Investigations of the origin and evolution of the Milky Way disk have long relied on chemical and kinematic identification of its components to reconstruct our Galactic past. Difficulties in determining precise stellar ages have restricted most studies to small samples, normally confined to the solar neighbourhood. Here we break this impasse with the help of asteroseismic inference and perform a chronology of the evolution of the disk throughout the age of the Galaxy. We chemically dissect the Milky Way disk population using a sample of red giant stars spanning out to 2~kpc in the solar annulus observed by the {\it Kepler} satellite, with the added dimension of asteroseismic ages. Our results reveal a clear difference in age between the low- and high-$\alpha$ populations, which also show distinct velocity dispersions in the $V$ and $W$ components. We find no tight correlation between age and metallicity nor [$\alpha$/Fe] for the high-$\alpha$ disk stars. Our results indicate that this component formed over a period of more than 2~Gyr with a wide range of [M/H] and [$\alpha$/Fe] independent of time. Our findings show that the kinematic properties of young $\alpha$-rich stars are consistent with the rest of the high-$\alpha$ population and different from the low-$\alpha$ stars of similar age, rendering support to their origin being old stars that went through a mass transfer or stellar merger event, making them appear younger, instead of migration of truly young stars formed close to the Galactic bar.

On the feasibility of using satellite gravity observations for detecting large-scale solid mass transfer events

The main focus of this paper is to assess the feasibility of utilizing dedicated satellite gravity missions in order to detect large-scale solid mass transfer events (e.g. landslides). Specifically, a sensitivity analysis of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravity field solutions in conjunction with simulated case studies is employed to predict gravity changes due to past subaerial and submarine mass transfer events, namely the Agulhas slump in southeastern Africa and the Heart Mountain Landslide in northwestern Wyoming. The detectability of these events is evaluated by taking into account the expected noise level in the GRACE gravity field solutions and simulating their impact on the gravity field through forward modelling of the mass transfer. The spectral content of the estimated gravity changes induced by a simulated large-scale landslide event is estimated for the known spatial resolution of the GRACE observations using wavelet multiresolution analysis. The results indicate that both the Agulhas slump and the Heart Mountain Landslide could have been detected by GRACE, resulting in $${\vert }0.4{\vert }$$ and $${\vert }0.18{\vert }$$ mGal change on GRACE solutions, respectively. The suggested methodology is further extended to the case studies of the submarine landslide in Tohoku, Japan, and the Grand Banks landslide in Newfoundland, Canada. The detectability of these events using GRACE solutions is assessed through their impact on the gravity field.